markus brunetti frames the façades of religious edifices across europe

markus brunetti frames the façades of religious edifices across europe
(above) cortegaça, paróquia de santa marinha, 2013–2014
image © markus brunetti / courtesy yossi milo gallery, new york

markus brunetti: facades
september 10 – october 17, 2015
yossi milo gallery, new york

marking his first exhibition in the united states, german artist markus brunetti brings his photographic series ‘facades’ to new york’s yossi milo gallery. the collection comprises the culmination of brunetti’s travels through europe from 2005 to the present day as he documented the architectural surfaces of historic cathedrals, churches and cloisters in explicit detail. the exterior of each structure is captured in a precise and controlled style, straight on and without human interruption, allowing for typologies and comparisons between countries, time period and stylistic approaches. the subjects are conceived as idealized designs, or as what might be called photographic drawings on paper, similar to the architects’original drawings and the engravings of old masters.

orvieto, duomo di santa maria assunta, 2006–2014
image © markus brunetti / courtesy yossi milo gallery, new york

in the creation of a single photograph, brunetti painstakingly explores each façade from bottom to top, taking numerous frames over a period of time. meticulous ornamentation that would otherwise be overlooked — such as the intricate blue tiles sited at paróquia de santa marinha in cortegaça or sculptural details on the spires of cologne cathedral — become vividly clear. finally, brunetti assembles the individual views into his own hyper-realistic interpretation of the building façade, forming an in-depth study of the dynamic relationship between form, religious function and cultural history.

sobrado dos monxes, monasterio de santa maría, 2013–2014
image © markus brunetti / courtesy yossi milo gallery, new york